


Stay with Me

by fits_in_frames



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-24
Updated: 2005-08-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 23:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1568000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fits_in_frames/pseuds/fits_in_frames
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He takes a deep breath, smells the fine linens and old silver and Pureblood on the air, and slides his hand along the still-smooth banister as he makes his way upstairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay with Me

He feels odd in this house. Well, he thinks, he feels odd anywhere. It's his default, his natural state. But here-- _here_. He takes a deep breath, smells the fine linens and old silver and Pureblood on the air, and slides his hand along the still-smooth banister as he makes his way upstairs.

Molly calls after him. "I've set aside a room for you, if you like. Away from the children," she adds, quietly.

He turns to face her. She points, smiling half-heartedly. He nods and heads for the room.

The bed frame is small and bare, but there is a pile of soft cloth on the floor next to it. The arm of the rocking chair by the window is covered in a thick layer of dust. He watches the sunset as he strips, placing each piece of clothing neatly on the chair. When he's wearing just his socks, the door creaks open. He jumps and points his hand at the door as if he were holding his wand, which, he has only just now remembered, is in his pocket.

"Eek," says a small voice.

"Jesus, Sirius," he says, relaxing his stance, "I thought you were Molly." He peels off a sock. "Well come in or get out because you're letting in a draft."

"I--I just wanted to--I wanted to see you. You came in without saying hello." He steps in and scratches the back of his neck, looking decidedly away. "So, is it true? This potion?"

"Wolfsbane, yes," he says. "Sirius, this isn't anything you haven't seen before. Well, maybe some of these," he adds, pressing two fingers to a three-year-old scar on his shoulder.

Sirius laughs, turns to face him, head still down slightly, and continues to scratch. "So, you'll be Moony on the outside but Remus on the inside?"

"In a manner of speaking. Fleas?"

"How could you guess?" Sirius screws up his face and violently attacks his neck with his fingernails. He looks up, turns slightly. "Well, I guess I should go--"

"Don't." A sudden fear has gripped his chest, and he spits out the words as though they were one of those custom-made Every-Flavored Beans James made him eat once. He looks past the claw marks on his belly to the floor. "Stay with me. Please," he whispers.

"All right," Sirius says, takes his hand off the door handle, and glances down. "You've still got one sock on."

"Thank you." He takes it off, drops it on top of the pile. Both the fear and the hint of desperation in his voice a moment ago has mysteriously fled. "I'm sorry, Sirius. You can go if you want."

"No, no, on second thought, I hate being in this place. But you--you make it bearable."

"I'll take that as a complement." He smiles sarcastically and looks up.

"This was Regulus' room," Sirius says suddenly, "until he was eleven. Mine was just across the hall. I could have--"

"You were children," he scolds. "You wouldn't have."

"You're right." Sirius meets his gaze, and sighs. "You're right."

He glances out the window, and stiffens. The moon is rising.

"Moony?"

Something in his throat clenches. "I'm going to go wolf now," he says calmly. The world twists unpleasantly for what seems like an hour, and he wants to scream, but it comes out as a howl. He shakes his fur out. Sirius approaches him cautiously.

"Remus?"

He wants to say, _Yes, Sirius, it's me, it's me but just not. I won't bite you, I promise,_ but he whimpers pathetically instead.

"Remus." Sirius touches him. It would normally be an odd sensation, being touched as a wolf, but this place is odd to begin with.

In the dim twilight, he watches Sirius become Padfoot. The dog nudges him towards the pile next to the bed, where he lies down. Padfoot turns around three times, licks him on what would normally be his cheek and promptly passes out.

He pushes his nose up against the sleeping dog's. _You make it much more than bearable, Sirius,_ he thinks, and falls asleep.


End file.
